The present disclosure relates generally to optical fiber connectors and systems, and specifically to MPO (Multi-fiber Push On) type optical fiber connectors having a compact design.
Fiber optics have become the standard cabling medium used by data centers to meet the growing needs for data volume, transmission speeds, and low losses. An optical fiber connector is a mechanical device disposed at an end of an optical fiber, and acts as a connector of optical paths, for example when optical fibers are joined to each other. An optical fiber connector may be coupled with an adapter to connect an optical fiber cable to other optical fiber cables or devices. An adapter generally includes a housing, or portion of a housing, having at least one port which is configured to receive and hold a connector to facilitate the optical connection of one connector to another connector or other device.
An MPO connector is a multi-fiber connector defined by industry standards. A conventional MPO connector has many constituent parts and a push/pull locking and unlocking mechanism, resulting in a relatively long connector design that wastes too much space, and which may not be sufficiently small for use in certain applications. Moreover, conventional MPO connectors are composed of many constituent parts, increasing the cost of materials and labor, as well as the complexity of assembly. Accordingly, there is a need for MPO type optical fiber connectors that have a more compact design than conventional MPO connectors.